Firecracker
by TimelessTears
Summary: Firecracker: a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise. As far as Cross was concerned, this was a perfect description of Allen Walker before he met Mana. The Black Order gets to see Red first hand and Cross can't wait for the explosions to start. Red!Allen. Rated T for cursing and violence.
1. The Match is Struck

**Disclaimer: I don't own D .Gray -man**

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Cross planned to sneak out of headquarters when the opportunity arose. He intended to stow away into the night and hopefully never have to deal with the Black Order again. That was the plan. Sadly, opportunity was taking its sweet time showing up and the Black Order had him under constant surveillance. Fair enough, he supposed- he did disappear for a few years with no contact and only showed up to save their asses when the end was nigh. But did he get thanked for that? No. No thanks for Marian Cross for helping keep the ark out of the Earl's hands. Instead, he was put on the short leash. He knew Central would be suspicious of his actions and even if no one said it, he knew they were thinking he had committed treason. Hence the house arrest. Now, he was stuck sitting on one of the hallway couches killing time. Che, they could imprison him in the building but he refused to be locked up in his room like some damsel in a fairy tale.

Of course, his idiot apprentice was in the same boat. Cross took vindictive satisfaction in knowing he was dragging someone down with him.

Granted, he would have liked to have been able to speak to the kid- that was denied. He wasn't surprised but it was annoying. He took his revenge on this minor inconnvience by forcing his guards to find the most expensive alcohol they could and throwing it back in their faces.

He groaned as he stretched out on the couch. God, this boredom would kill him before the higher ups decided if he was in cahoots with the 14th. A thought ran across his mind and he smirked; maybe he could find a way to give all his invoices and debts to his stupid apprentice? He grinned at the thought. He could already hear Allen screaming at the amount Cross had managed to rack up over the last year. He had even been nice and given, like, 10% of it to those Noah twins.

As he was thinking up various ways to leave his debt to Allen without getting caught, a commotion caught his attention. Finders were surrounding the underground waterway, blocking the entrance.

"Move! Get out of the way, we don't have time to explain. I SAID MOVE!" A young voice shouted in anger and Cross watched in mild interest as the Bookman's apprentice shouldered his way through the crowd, carrying something in his arms. That guy with the two moles and the nervous woman were right behind him. Wait a minute, wasn't the guy with two moles charged with watching Allen?

"But where is Walker-san?" Cross heard one of the finders ask the Bookman's apprentice. Crud, what was that kid's name again? Lave? Larva? Cross snapped his fingers. Lavi, it was Lavi.

Lavi ignored the question as he continued walking. As he got closer to Cross, the general noticed that whatever the teen was carrying was fairly large and covered in a dirty white sheet.

"I'm sure Supervisor Komui will know what to do." Double Mole told Lavi, trying to comfort the youth and failing fantastically. Cross raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"Shut up, Link." Lave snapped back and Cross almost laughed out loud. However it was at that moment that the trio walked by his couch and Cross noticed some tiny details.

Timcampy was fluttering nervously over whatever Lavi was carrying.

Lavi's bundle shifted slightly. As it did, Cross saw a small, deformed hand dangle down from the sheet and a flash of dirty auburn hair.

Cross felt the air leave his body.

No.

No fucking way.

He lit a cigarette as his mind furiously worked over the possibilities. Unlike others, he knew innocence could do weird things at the most unfortunate times. He watched the trio until they were out of site. Was it that woman's fault? Her innocence was connected to time; had something gone wrong on the mission and she had somehow turned Allen back into him?

Deciding the only way to get answers was to follow the problem, Cross stood abruptly. His guards tensed and Cross barely stopped himself from clicking his tongue in annoyance. How should he get rid of these human shackles?

"Gotta take a piss." He told them gruffly as he walked towards the bathroom.

"We'll accompany you, General Cross." One of the nobodies answered brightly.

'Of course you will,' Cross thought with a grin as he lengthened his strides.

'I'm counting on it.'

3 minutes later, Cross stepped out of the bathroom disguised as a guard. He left his guards tied up and unconscious in one of the bathroom stalls. Honestly, he infiltrated the ark looking like a Skull without the enemy suspecting anything. Masquerading as another human was so easy he could do it with his eyes closed.

How did these people think he avoided his debt collectors? Running was good and all and Allen's poker skills were a divine gift from God but when he didn't have the luxury of those options, hiding in plain sight was best.

No one gave him a second glance as he walked towards the science department.

He stopped in front of Komui's office and waited; listening in on the conversation that was taking place on the other side of the door.

"Well, the arm is proof enough. This is Allen Walker." Komui told the others, sounding serious for once in his life.

"But brother, I still don't understand how-?" Cross heard Lenalee's muffled voice ask, bafflement clear even through the door.

"I'm not sure. Miranda, you're sure your innocence didn't do this?" Komui asked her kindly.

"I-I'm not positive." She stuttered out. "I had deactivated it. U-unless it did it on its own. But Time Record wasn't activated. At least I don't think it was? What if it was? What if this is my fault? I'm sorry, Allen!" She ended in a choked sob.

"It wasn't you, Miranda." Lave spoke up. "It was a Level 3 Akuma. We knew something was up when it just stood there letting the level 2s swarm us. We thought it was waiting for us to get worn down. Allen tussled with it and right before he killed it, it unleashed its special ability." He reported monotonously.

"What was the Akuma's special ability?" Komui asked sharply.

"We were unable to identify it." Link took over. "Walker was wrapped in a bright light and when the light faded, this boy was in his place. We know the ability has to do with time but we do not know the specifics. It should be noted that this ability has stayed even after the Akuma was exterminated. It's unusual to say the least."

As they continued talking, Cross released his disguise and quietly made his way in the room. Link noticed him right away but stayed quiet, surprisingly. Cross gave a silent nod in thanks before focusing on table near the group.

The boy was just as he looked when Tim had watched him all those years ago. Even his clothes were the same. His grey eyes were closed and his skin was pale. His hair was tied up, a dirty red just a few shades off of Cross's own vibrant locks. His clothes were rumpled and Cross could see bruises peeking out beneath the boy's shirt. As far as Cross could tell, the Akuma had brought Allen's past self into the future. An interesting ability; Cross wished he had seen it in action. He'd have to check Timcampy to see if the golem had recorded the moment.

"We should clean him up and get him some better clothes. I doubt Allen would want to wake up dirty." Lenalee suggested, obviously trying to break the tense atmosphere. "I'm sure Bookman will lend us some clothes. Mmm, but they might be a little big."

"I could make him some clothes. He'd probably like that better." Johnny offered enthusiastically and Cross almost cringed. That is the last thing the boy on the table would want.

"Not a bad idea. We should prepare a bed too." Reever said, scratching his chin. "Allen would definitely appreciate it." Cross withheld a scoff. Why the fuck would that kid need a bed prepared? He already had his own room. Allen never kept worldly possessions - which Cross thought was depressing. Even he kept a few things to remind him of the good times (panties, love letters with lipstick stains, and some other items best not mentioned).

"No." Cross spoke, making most of the group jump. "Don't move him, don't bathe him and most importantly, don't fucking touch him. He'll be pissed enough when he wakes up." He strode towards the table to get a better look and had to smile when he saw Timcampy nuzzling Allen's hair.

"General Cross!" One of them exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

What a stupid question. Wasn't it obvious?

"That rambunctious kid," Cross started, jerking a thumb at a surprised Lavi, "Stormed down the hallway holding my midget apprentice like he was about die and you didn't think I would follow up? I'm hurt."

"What? But I had him covered!" Lavi exclaimed.

"I saw his arm." Cross explained, his eyes never leaving the sight of the sleeping boy. He had never spoken to this Allen- no, Red- but he remembered the mouth this kid had on him. Cross had actually picked up a few good death threats from Red which he later used on Allen.

It was one of those poetic, full circle things.

Come to think of it, if that Akuma's power only brought past selfs' forward without any other effects- which Cross was hoping would be the case- the Black Order might become a fairly entertaining place. A grin spread across his face on its own accord at the thought.

These poor bastards wouldn't know what hit them.

Cross couldn't wait.

"Your concern is noted. Regardless, you are not to be in contact with Allen Walker." Link stiffly told the Cross and everyone in the room shuddered as the general let loose a dark chuckle.

"Yeah, I remember," Cross said, looking at Link with amused eyes that made the other scowl. "But I don't see how that applies anymore. This brat's innocence isn't activated." He boldly grabbed the red arm and held it up just long enough for everyone to see the green cross was dormant.

"Innocence has nothing to do with your orders to stay away from Allen Walker." Link replied.

"What is it then? Is it the Noah thing? The ark thing? Something about treason even though we saved everyone and their damn dog?" Cross asked, shooting the elephant in the room. "You don't need to worry, I promise."

"Your promises mean nothing." Link snapped back.

"Uh, I hate agreeing with Pimple Face here, but he's right. Your promises don't have a good track record." Lavi said with a nervous grin, sweating slightly as Cross looked at him and smiled.

"Little Bookman, do you think you're smart?" Cross cooed mockingly. "Fake smiles belong on clowns- not wanna be historians. I wonder what the Bookman sees in you because critical thinking isn't your strong point. Actually, I don't think anyone in this group- besides me, of course- could think critically if their lives depended on it." He mused absentmindedly, ignoring the heated glares aimed at him.

"Please explain, General Cross." Komui asked, eyes serious. The man was insane but he knew when to be serious. Cross appreciated that.

"Just look at my idiot apprentice. Obviously, he's been reverted back to, like, 5 or something." Cross knew Allen was around 7 but the kid looked younger. "What makes you think he's going to wake up and remember you people? What makes you think his memory is intact?"

"What makes you think it's not?" Reever asked curiously.

"Last time I checked, my apprentice didn't own what he's wearing right now. I also don't remember him looking like a bruised peach. If he had simply been de-aged, his clothes wouldn't have changed. His innocence would still be awake and his hair and curse would be the same. Whatever this Akuma did, it didn't make Allen younger; it brought his past self forward in time. I guarantee that if you ask him the year, he'll be off by a decade or so."

"I don't see how this applies to your relationship with Allen Walker." Link butted in, still scowling at Cross.

"What relationship? This kid won't know who I am. If he doesn't remember me, being around me shouldn't be a problem." Cross explained with a smug grin.

"The original order still stands." Link said and Cross sighed in exasperation. This guy wasn't going to budge.

"Ok," Cross sighed heavily. "But you'll regret it."

"And why is that?"

"Because you don't know that kid sleeping on the table."

"Um, it's Allen, right? We know him. I'm sure he's a very kind child." Miranda said softly and Cross slapped a hand over his mouth, barely covering his laughter. The group took in his trembling form and shared a look.

"Say General Cross,"Lavi started out, giving Cross a piercing look. "You told us Allen doesn't know you but it sounds to me like you know a lot about him."

"Of course," Cross said, recovering from his fit. "Timcampy's been watching Allen even before he was named Allen."

For some reason that sentence had everyone talking.

"Eh? Why were you watching Allen-"

"Before he was named Allen? What's that supposed to mean-"

"General Cross, you need to explain yourself!"

With everyone focused on Cross and their voices getting steadily louder, no one noticed grey eyes fluttering open. Confused, Red sat up and looked around. He was in some weird room with lots of papers, chairs and tables. Tables with strange looking things on them. Odd, the last thing he remembered was Cosimo beating the stuffing out of him and threatening to sell him-

Oh. Oh, that dirty rotten bastard! He actually sold him! Red clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

Red's not sure why that hurt him so much. Cosimo was awful and so was the circus but it had been the closest Red could get to a home. Still, Red though at least one person would have stopped Cosimo.

'Who are you kidding?' Red thought to himself viciously. 'The only one that liked you was that stupid dog.'

Now wasn't the time for self-pity. This wasn't the first time he had been abandoned- he'd survive, he always did. Focusing on the group still talking, he took in the people he had been sold to and raised an eyebrow. A girl with short black hair, a loud red head with an eye patch, two weirdos with glasses and a man with short, spiked yellow hair were all talking over each other. There was another girl wringing her hands nervously next to a serious looking bloke with two moles on his forehead.

In the midst of them was a tall man with long, wild red locks. He had an arrogant air about him that Red immediately disliked; he was probably the boss of this place.

Cosimo sold him to some strange people. He also came to the conclusion that hanging around wouldn't do him any good. He didn't know these people and he didn't want to know them. He'd just find another circus to work at. Surely he can't be too far from London. Circuses stop in that city all the time.

With that thought in mind, he silently slipped off the table and crouched low to the floor. His shoulders jerked in surprise when he felt something tap his cheek. Stifling a yell, he turned his head and found himself staring at a yellow flying. . .ball thing.

Red cocked his head to the side and suppressed a smile when the ball copied his movements. Heh, it was kinda cute, whatever the heck it was. Holding his index finger to his lips to make the universal 'Shh!' sign, Red hoped the ball wasn't some kind of alarm or guard to watch him. Looking at his hand, he blanched when he saw his glove was missing. Quickly digging in his pocket, he gave a small sigh of relief when he felt the glove; they hadn't taken it from him. Good. He hated it when people gaped at his deformed arm. Putting it on, he sat for a little, thinking of what to do next.

Peeking around the table, he studied the group people. They were still yelling at each other. Eyes roving over the room, Red spotted a door that he assumed led to freedom. He stealthily made his way across the room, hiding behind various objects until he was at the door. Upon closer inspection, he scowled when he realized how high the handle was; he'd have to stretch to reach it. It took a few tries but his hands finally caught the handle. Slowly he opened the door, praying it wouldn't creak. It didn't. Relieved, he had opened it just enough to slip out when a hand slammed it shut, making Red freeze and all conversation cease.

A shadow fell over Red's small frame and he withheld a shudder. Being afraid hadn't saved him in the past from pain and it probably wouldn't save him now. Gathering all his courage, Red boldly looked up.

A grinning, half-masked face stared back.

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A/N: What can I say? I like Red, I like Cross and I want them to interact, dammit!


	2. The Fuse is Lit

**CHAPTER 2- The Fuse is Lit**

"And where," Cross purred, looking down at his frozen student. "Do you think you're going?"

The boy didn't answer. He simply looked up at Cross, studying him the way prey studied predators. Cross frowned. Allen hadn't been up for even 10 minutes and he already thought they were enemies. It had been funny, watching the child make his way to the door; it was the exact opposite of what Cross thought he would do. Cross had expected Allen to wake up screaming, cursing and demanding answers. He had forgotten how cautious Allen had been before he had met Mana. The boy had a temper but he knew how keep a lid on it when he thought he was in danger.

"Well?" Cross asked when Allen remained silent. "Are you going to answer me, idiot?"

"General!" Lenalee snapped, aghast, from behind him.

"Ain't it obvious? I was leaving." Allen's quiet voice floated in the air. Cross saw the others frown at it. They were expecting the soft, gentle voice of the Allen Walker they knew; the rough, stubborn voice that came out of Allen's mouth was a surprise. The thick accent was probably unexpected as well.

"Leaving doesn't tell me where you're going, dumbass." Cross scolded, flicking the kid's forehead with his finger.

"Beggin' yer pardon, sir. I didn't realize I was in the presence of a king." Allen gave him a mocking bow. His voice was so thick with sarcasm, Cross could have bottled it in a jar.

"Well now you know you are in the presence of a king. So simpleton, lick my boots clean." Cross smirked, holding one his boots near Allen's face. He ignored the horrified gasps and insults of his character from the group behind him. All he cared about was Allen's reaction.

And the kid did not disappoint.

"Yeah, the King of Arseholes." Allen snapped at him, roughly pushing the boot away. "Go fuck yerself with a cactus. I ain't a dog you can order around. I don't know what Cosimo told you but it was a bloody lie."

Cross couldn't decide what was more entertaining, Allen's insults or the reaction the others had when they heard him cursing.

"Oh my god, I didn't know Allen knew those types of words." Lavi whispered in awe to a dumbfounded Reever and Johnny. The two scientists nodded, surprised to hear such vulgar things come out of that young mouth.

"Mr. Walker, that language is highly inapprop-" Link's lecture was interrupted by a loud wail.

"Protect your ears, Lenalee!" Komui sobbed, as he tried to press his hands to her ears. "My poor, innocent sister didn't need to hear such black language!" The man sniffed, giving Allen a glare. The boy froze and Cross remembered the kid wouldn't know the difference between a light scolding and a heavy hand at this age.

"Hey, he's not going to hurt you. Relax." Cross told Allen but the boy only tensed up more. The general wanted to groan. Of course the kid wouldn't believe him.

"Hey beansprout, who's Cosimo?" Lavi asked, crouching down next to Allen. The boy blinked owlishly and Lavi had to grin at how cute he looked. He wanted to pinch Allen's cheeks so bad but had a feeling he'd be missing some fingers if he did.

"Whaddaya mean, 'Who's Cosimo?' He sold me to you, didn't he?" Allen asked, confused before something dawned in his eyes. "Oh, did he give you a fake name? I could see him doing that. Anyway, he's a big bloke and uglier than a street dog. He's missing half his teeth and the rest are rotten. That sound about right? He works at the same circus as me. He thinks he's the star of the show but he's a mediocre has been. And a no good drunk to boot. I was kinda hoping I'd see him set himself on fire or walk into the lion's cage but I guess not, huh?" The boy gave a disappointed sigh.

Pure silence.

"You have the best accent ever!" Lavi squealed as he tried to hug Allen, unable to resist temptation. "Why'd you get rid of it later on?"

He fell over sideways as Allen skillfully dodged his hug and plastered himself against the wall.

"W-what are you on about?! Don't touch me, wanker!" Allen stuttered, face bright red. Lavi pouted and was about to try again, when a boot slammed into his back.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch him?" Cross's soft voice whispered into Lavi's ear, making the younger shudder slightly.

"Aw, it was just a friendly hug. I couldn't help myself! It's funny how red he's getting over something so small. Allen's such a cute little tough boy- don't you just want to squeeze him?" Lavi asked and groaned in pain as Cross put more pressure on his back.

"Idiot! This may be game to you but take a closer look at Allen." Cross snarled, jerking Lavi up by his hair. Lavi winced but decided he wasn't in a position to protest. Studying the boy, he saw that Allen wasn't embarrassed as he had originally assumed.

He was terrified.

Beyond flushed cheeks was ragged breathing and small trembles running up and down his body. Those grey eyes that were usually so gentle were hardened in anger, uncertainty and fear.

"I keep telling you, that isn't the Allen you know. That is not your comrade. That is not your friend. That is a kid trying his best to hide how frightened he is." Cross hissed, making Lavi wish the ground would swallow him up. It also made him curious.

What kind of life had Allen lived that he was wary of a hug?

"Where am I? Who are you people and what do you want from me?" Allen demanded. Everyone heard the frustration in his voice and a select few picked up the faint quiver of fear.

"Ah, sorry! We haven't been very helpful, have we?" Komui said with a gentle smile as he crouched down next to Allen. He made sure to stay just out of arm's reach for Allen's sake. He had always had a vague sense that Allen's early years hadn't been the most joyful but seeing him like this, well, it made Komui sad.

"My name is Komui Lee. I'm a scientist. I'm also supervisor of the science division here. As for where you are, this is the Black Order." Komui calmly told the boy.

"Black Order? Nevah heard of it." Allen muttered, trying to keep a wary eye on everyone and find an escape route at the same time.

"I'm not surprised, we're not well-known. You could say we're a smaller branch of the Vatican Church."

That got Allen's full attention.

"The Vatican?" He asked, somewhat incredulously. "As in the bloody Catholic Church?!"

"Yes." Komui said, sharing a worried look with the others as Allen began pacing back and forth, mumbling just loud enough for them to hear.

"Why'd he sell me to the Catholic Church? Working in one of those labor shops would have been better. How'd someone like Cosimo even get in a church without bursting into flames? Fuck, I hope he drowns in his own piss." The boy snarled.

"Um, Allen-" The boy whirled around and gave Komui a hard glare.

"I ain't a demon! I haven't done anything to anyone." He snapped, cutting Komui off. "I don't know if all those small town priests wrote to you but I didn't curse no one! I only went inside those churches because they had donations for poor dirties like me. I stopped after the third church- I get it, you guys think I'm the Devil's servant. I swear I'll stay away from all the pure folk. I don't wanna visit anymore churches anyway! Getting threatened to be burned at the stake and having holy water dumped on me is enough incentive to keep me away." The boy gave a tired sigh. "If you let me go, you'll never see me again. Promise."

"Those churches tried to burn you like a witch?" Komui asked softly, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. His eyes wandered to Allen's hand and saw it was covered by a ratty brown glove. The boy must have had it in his pocket and put it on when he woke up.

"Threatened," The boy corrected looking down. "I didn't stick around to see if they were serious."

"You have my promise that nothing like that will happen to you here." Komui told him earnestly. Allen scoffed at the gesture.

"Promises don't mean much to me. Promises are lies people say so they can feel better about themselves." Allen snapped harshly. "And quite frankly, I don't have time to indulge you."

"Why?" It was Link who had asked, studying the boy with careful eyes.

"Gotta go find a new circus or some type of work. Havfta make a livin' somehow." Allen told them with a shrug.

"You don't need to go anywhere. You can stay here and we'll provide everything; boarding, clothes, food and anything else you need. You don't need to go find work." Komui promised the boy and hurried on when he saw Allen open his mouth. "Let me tell you about the Black Order before you make your decision."

Komui gave Allen a heavily edited summary of what the Black Order did for the Vatican with a few fabrications added in. He couldn't tell Allen everything and he down played the violence because little kids shouldn't have to hear about that kind of stuff if it could be helped. There was also the teeny tiny little fact that Allen couldn't leave. Komui wasn't going to tell him that; he could tell Allen would fight tooth and nail if he thought they were going to keep him against his will.

"Since we're highly trained exorcist who help with the worst cases the Vatican receives, the Black Order gets donations from around the world. Those donations allow us to foster kids we think have potential to become exorcists. We send out word every now and then and Cosimo must have thought this would be better for you than the circus." Komui finished with a smile, looking at Allen.

The boy stared back in disbelief.

"Mother Mary drunk on wine," Allen said breathlessly, clutching at his hair in slight panic. "Cosimo sold me to an insane asylum!" Allen ended in a yell.

Cross couldn't help it; he laughed. He laughed loud and hard. So hard, he had to sit down.

"What? No, Allen. I swear this isn't an insane asylum." Komui tried to assure the boy over Cross's laughter.

"Aint no way a church of any kind would have taken me! Do you really think I'm that fucking dumb?" Allen barked out before muttering to himself. "The bloody crazy house. Of all the places-!"

"What sort of asylum would let its patients wander around without supervision?" Lenalee asked with a calming smile.

"None of us are really dressed like patients, Allen." Lavi pointed out. "Though I can't blame you for thinking you were in one. Half the people here are a little on the insane side and the rest are so far gone- oof! Lenalee, that hurt! Why'd you kick me?" Lavi whined, rubbing his leg.

"You're not helping, Lavi." She told him with a tight smile and angry eyes. Lavi gulped and wisely kept quiet.

"Honestly, Mr. Walker, this dramatic behavior is not needed. Komui's not lying to you. I assure you, if you were in a mental facility, they would have tied you down and sedated you by now." Link sniffed.

"Oh, so I'm the crazy one? I'm the dramatic one? Excuse me for not believing your crock story that's a large pile of steaming dog shite." Allen snapped back. "And why do you people keep calling me Allen and Mr. Walker?"

"Er, because that's your name? Don't tell me you've forgotten your name, Allen!" Johnny asked with a nervous laugh.

"Don't be daft, people like me don't have names." Allen replied before recognition filled his eyes and he snapped his fingers. "Wait a tic, one of the new comers at the circus had the last name Walker. I remember cuz I had to take dinner to him once. Nevah caught his first name. I don't think it was Allen though, that's the name of his dog." Allen told them before his face grew dark again. "Did Cosimo tell you my name was Allen Walker?" He asked them, looking for all the world like he was about to pummel someone into the ground.

Most of them had a feeling he would win too.

"W-what do you mean, 'people like me don't have names'?" Miranda stuttered, concerned for her friend.

"Just as I said, people like me don't have names. And why would we? We're abandoned cast-offs, orphans, freaks-" Allen cut off abruptly and shoved his gloved hand behind his back. "Anyway, point is, my name's not Allen Walker. If you have to call me something, most people go with Red."

"Why Red?" Lavi asked, tilting his head curiously as he studied his friend. He knew Allen had taken Mana's last name but it had never occurred to him that Mana Walker had given him the name Allen as well. It made Lavi sad; his friend had lived the first few years of his life without a proper name- a basic dignity that all humans should have. Lavi had 49 different 'names' but he had made that choice and was aware of the consequences.

"For my rosy personality." Red snorted. "Are you blind in both eyes, Eyepatch? Or do you think I'm bald?" Red asked, pointing at his hair.

"Aww~ you're so mean, beansprout. I thought it might be because of your arm." Lavi mock-whined. He frowned when Red went pale. Belatedly, Lavi realized Allen was quite sensitive about his arm at this age. "Oh, shit. Allen, I didn't mean-"

"My name's not Allen!" Red shouted, eyes darting around the room. Seeing the panic rising in his eyes, Komui did his best to put the boy at ease.

"Alle- Red, no one here thinks your arm is strange." Komui told him softly. "No one here thinks it's cursed. We all know it's a gift; a beautiful gift from God." The scientist ended with a smile.

"A gift?" Red's voice cracked. "A gift?!" His voice rose and he looked Komui straight in the eye. Snarling, Red pulled his glove off and shoved his arm in front of Komui. "Tell me, Mr. Scientist- tell me how this no good, fucking deformed arm is a gift. Tell me how benevolent God is for blessing me with such a wonderful arm. So wonderful, it hurts to move. So wonderful, people spit and sneer at me. So wonderful, I'm chased out of places at the mere glimpse of it. Tell me, Mr. Scientist. Tell me about the wonderful gift God gave me because where I'm standing, it's a fucking curse. Go on, tell me!" Red dared him with cold eyes.

How could Komui answer that? How could any of them answer that? The Allen they knew was so cheerful and intune with his innocence, it was hard to think there was a time that he had hated it.

"God, you should have joined a theatre instead of a circus. Could you make a more dramatic speech?" Cross snorted as he lit up a cigarette. "You're not wrong but you're not right either."

"Whaddya mean?" Red asked him warily and Cross shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe that arm of yours is a curse. Maybe it's the reason your life is hellish. Or it might have nothing to do with it. You could have been born with a perfect pair of arms and you still could have been tossed away like yesterday's trash. You could have been physically normal in every way and people still would have treated you with like you were nothing. People point out your arm because it's the easiest target. Trust me, they would have found some other insecurity to tear you apart with if it was normal." Cross ended, his eyes focused on the boy that was listening intently to him.

" . . .I still don't see how it's a gift." Red grumbled after a moment, tugging his glove back on.

"Hell if I know. Maybe it's a gift that hasn't been open yet. It doesn't matter right now. No one here cares about your arm. You can wear your glove if you want." Cross craned his neck to look at the clock on the wall. "You hungry, kid?"

"No." Red replied as his stomach gurgled. "Shut up! My stomach's not growlin cuz I'm hungry! It just does that!" Red snapped, face flustered as Cross laughed at him.

"Whatever you say, brat." Cross said with a smirk as he stood up. "C'mon, let's ditch these losers. Cosimo sent you to us, so you'll be put to work but that can be done after eating. You'll be compensated, of course."

It was a bold lie without an ounce of truth but Red didn't need to know that.

"Eh? There's work here to do? Why didn't you people just say that from the beginning?" Red asked Cross as they made their way toward the door. As Cross touched the handle, Timpcampy flew over and sat down on top of Red's head. "And what's this thing? I've been wonderin' about it since I woke up."

"That's Timcampy. You can call him Tim for short. I'll tell you all about him and in return, you can take on some of my debt."

"Fuck you, no. I can live without knowing."

"It's too late to back out." Cross cackled, his voice becoming muffled as he shut the door, leaving the stunned group behind. It was quiet for a moment. Then, Lavi broke the stillness and made the first move.

"Oh, man! Mini Allen in the cafeteria? This I gotta see! Maybe if I hurry, I can start a betting pool: Will Jerry be able to hug our feisty little firecracker without coming to harm?" The redhead asked melodramatically as he shot out the door.

The next to move was Link who belatedly realized he had failed in his duties.

"General Cross!" He yelled as he power-walked out the door. "You are not to be in contact with Allen Walker!"

"Um, should we stop Lavi? I don't think it's a good idea to start a betting pool with Allen being like he is." Miranda asked Lenalee anxiously. Lenalee sighed but nodded in agreement.

"We should stop him. Allen's. . .rather rough right now. I'm not sure how he'll react if he finds out people are betting on his reactions." Lenalee said in a worried tone as both girls swiftly left for the cafeteria.

"So, um, what are we going to tell the higher ups?" Reever asked Komui after a moment. Komui gave him a blank stare.

"Put it at the bottom of my paper work with all the other stuff they don't need to know about."


	3. The Fuse is Sizzling

**CHAPTER 3- The Fuse is Sizzling**

As the cafeteria doors loomed in front of them, Cross could not stop grinning. Red had spent the whole walk down arguing about taking on Cross's debt. That in itself wasn't unusual; Allen had done that on a regular basis while under his tutelage. The boy would whine and complain and say he wouldn't do it. Of course, sooner or later, Allen would eventually end up paying whatever sod Cross owed money to because he was a pushover no matter how much if he denied it. No, Cross was grinning because unlike Allen, Red absolutely refused to budge.

"C'mon, kid. A deal's a deal. I told you all about Timcampy, so hold up your end of the bargain and help me out." Cross grunted, pushing one of his invoices into little hands. He watched as Red looked it over carefully, furrowing his forehead in frustration before thrusting the paper back at Cross.

"I already told you no! I never made a deal with you, you said all that crap on your own and started talking about your golem thing before I could open my mouth. Can't be a deal if the other party can't even get a word in. 'sides, it's a bad deal to begin with because I'm poor. How do you expect me to help yah if I ain't got no money?" Red asked him.

"Maybe not now but you can make money." Cross replied.

"Oh. Yer one of them." Red said, looking at Cross like he had figured out a puzzle, making the man frown.

"Them?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Yer one of them people that loves getting into trouble and making others pay for it; a freeloading deadbeat." Red supplied helpfully before tacking on in a darker tone. "Cosimo's like that and so is the Ringmaster."

Cross did not like being compared to Cosimo.

He had never met the man but he had a feeling the guy was a fat, useless lug. And also because Cosimo was an idiotic name in Cross's humble opinion and he'd rather not be associated with it.

"You need to learn what a joke is." Cross ended up saying, ruffling the kid's hair just to annoy him. "As if a kid like you could help me pay off my debts."

"I could help!" Red said indignantly. "I mean, I can't help with the money part but there are ways to get rid of debt without paying it."

Cross stared at him.

"What kind of stupid answer is that? The only way to get rid of debt it is to pay it off." Cross responded after a moment. Allen was an airhead but he thought Red was at least a smidge smarter.

"It's not stupid, you damn hobknocker!" Red huffed. "There's tons of ways of doing it without payin'. You could annoy the person who gave you the debt so much that they forgive the debt so long as they never have to see you again; you could go in disguise and use a fake name so that when it's time to pay the debt, the collectors won't find you; you could lie and say you're getting' the loan for someone else so the debt falls on them. You could. . . you could. . ." Red stumbled for a moment, as if deciding if he should say the last one before looking up at Cross.

"You could kill the debt collectors." The boy told Cross seriously.

Well, Cross thought as he looked down at his apprentice, the kid wasn't wrong; he could kill his debt collectors but that would be a lot of blood to clean up. Cross wasn't up for that.

"Are you proposing that I become a serial killer?" Cross asked instead.

"Hey, if you get caught, at least in prison you wouldn't have any money woes." Red told him with a small shrug. "Or you could, y'know, hire someone to kill them."

"You do realize I'm associated with the Catholic Church, right? They look down on murder."

"Izzat so? I'm pretty sure they look down on ditching debt collectors too but that hasn't stopped you." Red replied as they reached the cafeteria doors. The moment the boy heard voices on the other side, his casual demeanor- that Cross had managed to wrangle out from under Red's defenses- vanished, leaving behind wary eyes and a tense body. Cross waited, hoping the boy would say something and for once in his life, he was rewarded for his patience.

"Sounds like there's a lot of people in there." Red told him quietly.

"There are." Cross confirmed. "Is that a problem?" He asked after a moment.

"I don't like crowds," Red confessed, shoving his gloved hand into his pocket. "If there are too many people, then it gets loud and hot and it becomes hard to breathe. People run into each other and that starts fights and before you know it, the crowd becomes a mob. Or they notice someone is. . .different and for some reason that's bad and that person gets the ever loving stuffin' beaten out of 'em."

Looking at how nervous Red was becoming, Cross decided to take pity on the kid.

"Listen, I know you won't believe me, but I'm a pretty important person here. If I say no one can touch you, they'll listen. I promise you that no one on the other side of this door is going to hurt you." Cross solemnly promised the shaking boy. Grey eyes looked up at him and Cross wasn't sure what was worse; the hesitant hope or the age-weary look in them.

"And if they do hurt me?" Red whispered.

"Then I guess I get to start my serial killer career early." Cross said with a wicked smile, grabbing Red's hand and pushing the door open, trying to ignore the pain in his heart.

Why did Neah have to pick this kid to be his host?

Viciously shoving the thought away, Cross led Red to the serving window. Thankfully, people had become used to seeing Cross, so only a few had looked their way. Cross wasn't even sure if anyone had noticed Red because the boy was doing his best to become one with Cross's leg.

"General Cross! I didn't expect to see you! At least, not without your entourage." Jerry greeted him with a giggle, reminding Cross that his guards were probably still in that bathroom stall. "Let me guess: steak, steamed carrots, red wine and a chocolate soufflé?"

"You know me well, Jerry." Cross admitted with a smirk. "But I'm not the only one ordering." He told the chef as he pointed down.

"Oh?" Quirking an eyebrow at the gesture, Jerry leaned out the window to see what Cross was pointing at. He nearly squealed in delight when he saw a little boy with auburn hair clinging to Cross. Seeing the boy flinch at the loud noises of the dining hall, Jerry frowned. Looking at Cross, the general shook his head, before nudging the boy slightly. "Hey, the cook can't take your order if you don't say anything." Cross told the boy.

As the boy looked up, Jerry fell in love again when grey eyes met his. Grey eyes that looked awfully familiar. . .

"Sorry, sir." The boy said softly, addressing Jerry as he reluctantly let go of Cross and took a step closer to the window. Both men were surprised at his formal words.

"Oh sweetie, you don't need to call me that! Jerry is fine. Now, what can I get for you today?" Jerry asked and smiled when the boy bit his lip in a nervous manner.

"Doesn't matter, sir. The scraps are fine." He muttered out so quickly, it took Jerry a moment to decipher what he had said.

"What? General Cross, what have you been making this child do?" Jerry asked, appalled at the request.

"It wasn't me!" Cross defended himself when he saw Jerry reaching for a frying pan. "What the hell, Red? Who the fuck asks for table scraps?"

"But that's what I eat!" Red snapped back. "Do I look I dine in London's finest restaurants every night, you twit? Besides, food from the trash isn't that bad." He tried to convince Cross and Jerry. "Sure it's a little dirty but-"

"No." Cross cut him off, deciding he had heard enough. Next, Red would be telling him that mold and mud were good seasonings and Cross wasn't going to listen to that bullshit. "Forget about that. Forget about table scraps and the past. You're in the now and the now says you can order food like a normal person."

"Erm, but I've nevah ordered anything before." Red admitted softly.

"Just tell him what you want." Cross exclaimed with an exasperated sigh. He also made a mental note to find the circus Red had been working at, beat up all the workers and make them eat food off the muddy ground.

"Sir, can I have some roasted chicken? And, um, green beans and water? If it's not too much trouble." Red asked, looking at the floor.

"It's Jerry, sweetie. Of course you can have that. Is there anything else you'd like?" Jerry asked him kindly and chuckled when the boy quickly shook his head. "Alright then, why don't you and General Cross go find a place to sit and I'll bring out your food when it's done?" Jerry suggested, deciding he'd put a slice of pie onto Red's order.

"Sounds great. Let's go, kid." Cross answered, already tugging the boy towards an empty table.

"What the fuck, kid? Why are you always insulting me but you call Jerry 'sir'?" Cross raged quietly as they sat down and Red had the guts to give Cross an Are you fucking stupid ? look.

"He's the cook." Red told him, as if it explained everything.

"No, I wouldn't have guessed that by the way he took our orders and said he'd cook it. How could someone like that be a cook?" Cross asked sarcastically.

"Listen arsehole, I don't know why you're so pissed off but he's the cook. You always respect the cook." Red replied seriously and Cross realize that there was a reason behind Red's respect for Jerry.

"So, who were those people we left in the office?" Red asked as he fiddled with a loose thread on his shirt.

"Komui, who did introduce himself, is a scientist. The guy with spiky blond hair and the kid with dorky glasses are his underlings, Reever and Johnny. Howard Link was the man with the two moles and he's an inspector. The girl with short hair was Lenalee Lee; she's Komui's younger sister and she's an exorcist. The tall girl, Miranda, and Lavi, that loudmouth with the eye patch, are also exorcists." Cross explained. "I'm an exorcist as well but I'm the best of the best; that's why I have the title 'General'."

"What's your whole name?" Red asked curiously.

"It's Marian Cross." Cross told him, ready to smack the kid if he made fun of his name.

"Huh. It's better than Cosimo, that's a stupid name." Was all Red said as he looked around the room.

"I have never liked you more than I have in this moment." Cross told him and mentally decided that he would not bombard Allen with his debt the moment the boy returned to normal as he had originally planned. Red gave him a confused look and was about to open his mouth, only to have a steaming hot plate set down in front of him.

"Here you go, sweetie! Be careful, it's hot." Jerry told him, giving Red a big grin.

"Thank you, sir." Red thanked him, picking up his formal tone again. "Um, sir? This isn't mine." He told Jerry, pointing at the slice of cherry pie sitting innocently next to his chicken.

"It's Jerry, darling." The cook admonished as he put down Cross's dinner. "And there's no mistake- that pie was made especially for you." Jerry told the boy.

"Oh." Red said quietly, looking down with a frown. "Thank you."

"It was no problem, dear. You two enjoy your meals!" The cook gushed before heading back to his kitchen.

Cross picked up his knife and began cutting into his steak. After a moment, Red followed suit and picked up his own silverware. He fumbled with it for a moment but got the hang of it and began cutting away. He cut the chicken, the green beans and the pie until they were all mashed up. Cross idly noted Red was only using one hand; his left arm really was paralyzed.

"What are you doing?" Cross asked, making Red jerk a little. "If you're worried about bone in your chicken, don't be. Jerry always makes sure that shit is taken out; same with cherry pits. I don't know what you're expecting to be in your green beans."

"Nothing." Red said a little too quickly and sampled a small bit of his chicken. "Um, I'm not sure if this tastes right." He told Cross after he swallowed down some water.

"What?" Cross muttered, using his fork to snag a piece of Red's plate. "It tastes fine to me. Are your taste buds bad or something?" He asked Red. He knew there was more to it by the way Red was eyeing him but decided to pretend he didn't notice.

"I've never had a meal like this. I'm not sure what this stuff is supposed to taste like." Red defended himself, before biting into a green bean. Whatever problem he had with the food slowly faded and Cross was surprised to see he wasn't scarfing everything down like a certain someone did. Was it because Red was afraid to say he was still hungry?

Or was eating everything in sight Allen Walker's revenge on Cross for fostering so much debt on him?

Cross decided it wasn't worth the headache he would get thinking about it.

His eyes snapped over to Red when he heard a fork clatter onto the table. The boy was rigid and pale and looking the cherry pie in horror.

"What? What is it?" Cross asked him, trying to hide his concern. Allen had eaten cherry pie before, right? It couldn't be an allergic reaction, if only because Cross was positive Allen would find a way to cure himself of something like that. That boy wouldn't let anything stand between him and his love affair with food.

"It tastes like almonds." Red said hoarsely, giving Cross a look of betrayal. "You said no one would hurt me." Baffled, Cross went to take a bite, only to have a little hand stop him. Surprised, he watched as Red frantically shook his head.

"You don't want to eat it." The boy told him desperately.

"No, I think I do." Cross replied, weirded out by how Red was acting. The boy made a pitiful noise as Cross took a bite.

"There's nothing wrong with this. Jerry likes to put almonds in his pie crust. Do you not like it?" Cross asked Red. The boy blinked at him but said nothing; as if he was having a hard time processing what Cross had told him.

"Almonds leave a bad taste in my mouth." Red sniffed somewhat snobbishly after a moment, obviously trying to pretend he hadn't just freaked out. Cross opened his mouth to call him out when a thought occurred to him; it was a passage from a book he had once read when he was studying potions back in the day.

'It has often been said that cyanide tastes like almonds. Arsenic, for the most part, is completely odorless and tasteless. However, it too can have an almond flavor depending on how it is made.'

"Nothing on your plate is poisoned." Cross told him through gritted teeth, angrier than he had been in a long time. Shit, if the kid thought he had been poisoned, then that means he was probably checking for hidden blades earlier when he had gone on his cutting spree. Red's respect towards Jerry had just been clarified for Cross and it made him want to toss a table.

Respect the cook or the cook will poison you and hide sharp objects in your food. Apparently, the hand that had fed Red in the past had bitten him as well.

Cross was going to find that circus and burn it to the fucking ground.

"Nothing here is poisoned," Cross repeated, trying to calm himself down. "I'll even eat a little bit of everything on your plate if you want."

Red stared into Cross's eyes and the older man held his gaze. He's not sure what Red was looking for but the boy relaxed and sighed.

"No. It's fine. You said no one would hurt me and I believe you. You're a no good deadbeat with lots of debt, but I believe you." The boy told him.

"Thanks." Cross said dryly.

"So what kind of work is there for me to do?" Red asked. Cross was about to answer him but another voice spoke up.

"I'm afraid General Cross won't be able to tell you. He has something to take care of and it is urgent." Link growled as he stalked over to the pair.

"Are you serious?" Cross groaned.

"Yes and this is going in my report." Link told Cross, giving the man a heated glare.

"I know, I know. I'm a little surprised though, I thought you'd be a bit quicker in catching up with us."

"I would have but I was waylaid and had to help certain individuals out of a bathroom stall that had a containment spell woven over it. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you General Cross?" Link asked.

"Nope. No clue. Sucks to be those guys. Kudos to the spell caster- containment spells are tricky." Cross replied with a grin before frowning. "I'll go with you but I'm not leaving Red alone."

"I'll stay with him!" A cheerful voice volunteered as Lavi bounded over to the table. Red, Cross, and Link stared at him.

"Did you get mugged on the way here?" Red asked him bluntly. "You look like someone beat you up, made you clean up the blood and then beat the shit out of you again."

"Kid's right. You look fucked up. You were filthy before but this is just sad." Cross added, looking at Lavi's black and blue face.

"I didn't get mugged." Lavi said, deciding to ignore Cross. "My friend was just proving a point." He told Red, shuddering a little at the memory of Lenalee's strong kick meeting his face with brutal force. She said she hadn't used her innocence but Lavi didn't believe her. He made a silent vow to never go against her when she told him not to do something. Such a shame though, that bet would have been interesting to see played out.

"Point? It looks like someone kicked you straight in the face." Red said and Lavi wondered if Allen was good at guessing situations like Red and just kept quiet or if he had lost that ability somewhere along the way.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. The situation has been resolved. Did you like Jerry's cooking?" Lavi asked, changing the subject. He noticed that both Cross and Red twitched at the question.

"Yeah. It was good." Red said softly.

"General Cross, as you can see, Red has an escort. We need to go. Now." Link said in a stressed tone.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." Cross sighed. "I'll see you later. Timcampy will keep you company." He told the boy as he stood up, ignoring Link's'No you will not!' with an ease that came with years of practice in avoiding commands.

"Oh, ok." Red blinked as Timcampy flew over to him and nuzzled his hair.

As Cross walked past Lavi, he stopped.

"Watch him. Don't play any stupid pranks on him. If you fuck this up, I'm going to fuck you up, ok?" Cross whispered in his ear.

Lavi gulped and nodded, suddenly very glad that it was Lenalee's wrath he had felt and not General Cross'.

Watching the Cross walk away with Link, Lavi turned back to Red.

"What?" Red snarled after a moment of Lavi just staring at him.

"Ah, sorry!" Lavi said, coming out of his trance. "I was just thinking that General Cross cares a lot about you."

"No, he doesn't." Red denied automatically. "He's just looking for a lackey to dump all his debt onto."

"Oh. You figured him out already, huh?" Lavi asked with a laugh.

"Like it was that hard." Red snorted. "His intentions are clearer than clean glass. Can I start doing some work now?" He asked Lavi.

"You want to work?" Lavi asked him incredulously.

"That's why I'm here, ain't it? I'm not a slacker and I don't like wasting time. Either show me where to go or I'll find it myself." Red snapped.

"Well, I mean, you don't have to work today if you don't want too. It's ok to take a day to relax. Settle in and have some fun." Lavi tried to persuade the younger.

"Fun is for customers." Red told him in a mechanical voice. "Fun is for people who waste time. Things need to get done, ya know?"

"The circus wasn't a nice place to you, was it?" Lavi asked him softly. He tried imagining himself in Red's shoes; always being told to work, work, work while others were laughing and having fun. Allen had been the same way but Lavi had never noticed because the boy was so damn good at misdirection, he'd make people forget they were about to tell him to take a break. That or he finished and went to help out someone else before anyone could stop him.

"It wasn't so bad. I had food and shelter. What more do I need?" Red asked.

"There's a lot more to life than food, shelter and work." Lavi told him. "Clothes, for instance." He told Red with a grin as he tugged at the younger's battered shirt. "Let's get you some new clothes and a bath before anything else, ok?"

"Ok," Red said warily as he stood up. "But if you're tricking me, I'll break all your fingers off and make you eat them." He threatened, remembering that Lavi had been the one to lunge at him earlier.

"I feel like anger and sarcasm melded together and somehow the result was you. Like, they clashed together and then *POOF!* there you were, angry and ready to yell at the world." Lavi told him with a teasing smile.

"Shut up. I was born the same way everyone else was." Red grumbled as they began walking.

"See beansprout, I don't believe that. Don't worry though; I have another friend who is the human embodiment of anger and rage." Lavi told Red, thinking of Kanda, barely holding back a snicker.

"Why do you call me that?" Red asked him.

"What?"

"Beansprout. Why do you call me that?" Red repeated with an irritated frown.

"Ah, sorry. You remind me of someone is all. You're right though, the nickname doesn't fit you." Lavi stopped walking and looked Red over. "Habanero? Chili Pepper? No, those don't seem right. Oh! I got it!" Lavi exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

"You!" He yelled, gaining attention of everyone in the cafeteria as he pointed at Red. "I dub thee, Firecracker!"

Lavi hadn't meant to make Red a spectacle and he felt bad when people started to laugh. He saw Jerry frown from his window and seeing Red's face go from white to red from embarrassment made him wince. Lavi watched Red grit his teeth and Lavi thought the kid was about to haul off and start a brawl.

What Lavi did not expect was for Timcampy to grow until he was the size of a beach ball and slam into him at full force.

What Lavi learned in the seconds it took for Timcampy to crush him:

1\. Timcampy is heavy.

2\. Timcampy can growl.

3\. Timcampy's teeth are very sharp.

4\. Timcampy was not afraid to sit on him.

It took some time but Red finally managed to get Timcampy off Lavi. The reason it took so long was because Red couldn't stop laughing and kept stumbling over his words.

Lavi probably had a few broken ribs by the time Tim let up but he found himself not caring.

It was kind of nice to know Allen still had the same laugh.


	4. Once Lit, It Cannot Be Stopped

**CHAPTER 4 - Once Lit, It Cannot Be Stopped**

"I don't see what the big deal is," Cross groaned as he lounged on the couch in Komui's office."What's the harm in me hangin' around the kid?"

"I personally don't have an issue with you being around him but it's not up to me. I'm afraid it's out of my hands, General Cross." Komui said, giving him an apologetic shrug. Johnny and Reever were pretending to work but were eavesdropping in on the conversation if their nods of agreement were anything to go by.

"It is because orders are orders." Link muttered from the door where he was putting up yet another containment ward. It was the fifth one Cross had counted. Not that it mattered. Link could ward this room a hundred different ways and Cross would still be able to leave without a rumple in his clothes. "And since you seem to be having memory issues I'll remind you that you, General Marian Cross, are not to be in contact with your apprentice, Allen Walker, until otherwise stated."

"Oh, no, I remember. If you'll recall, I even followed those orders up till today. But nobody has bothered to tell me why such an order was issued in the first place." He tried to look confused but Link didn't fall for it.

"You were at the meeting, you know why. Until Allen Walker's trial is concluded, you are not to be in contact with him. Before you ask, yes, it is because of your involvement with the 14th. You know all this," Link said, finishing up his last ward and glaring at Cross. "Have some common decency and stop trying to make my life harder."

"Common decency is for schmucks. And I haven't disobeyed any orders; that kid is not Allen Walker. Completely different personality, name and age." Cross said, lighting up a cigarette and blowing smoke in Link's direction.

"Same body, same person. Personality, name and age have nothing to do with it." Link wrinkled his nose. "We can argue about this over and over but it won't change anything. Even if your argument held weight, why are you so eager to make friends with some nameless child? _Unless,_ " Link smirked letting that last word linger in the air for a moment. "Unless there's something you're not telling us? If that boy's not Allen Walker, then who is he? I didn't see any signs but I heard the 14th was quite good at pretending to be human."

Silence filled the room. With deliberate care, Cross withdrew a glass and a bottle of wine from underneath the couch (always be prepared) and popped the cork. "Wine?" he asked.

"No, thank you." Link said, eyebrows furrowed. Shrugging, Cross tossed the glass on the couch and drank from the bottle.

"See, this right here is why I hate politics. When something happens that your precious Vatican can't control - something that they don't like or understand - instead of asking logical questions and trying to see the big picture, they start pointing fingers and hissing out treason and heresy. Let's be honest here; the moment it was revealed Allen Walker was connected to the 14th, his fate was sealed. Oh, you'll put on a show and make it look like you actually tried to find answers but I don't know who you're trying to fool. Allen Walker was guilty in your eyes the moment he took control of the ark." Cross gave Link a glare worthy of Satan himself. "Your boss loved implying that my apprentice is a traitor, but I wonder? Can it be considered a betrayal if the organization stabs him in the back first?"

"Now see here, General Cross -!"

"No!" Cross slammed the bottle onto the table."I won't see reason with a fucking idiot who blindly follows orders like some helpless pup! You're an intelligent individual. Act like one! If you really think that that kid out there is going to cause problems; if you really believe he's the 14th, then fine. Keep me away, watch him like a hawk 24-7. But if you're only doing this because of orders then you're a hollow man, Howard Link."

The tension in the air increased tenfold but Cross wouldn't back down on this. He was going to stick to Red like glue. He knew watching that kid go around the Order was going to be first-class entertainment and he wanted a front row seat, dammit! As a plus, if Red did have some sort of mental breakdown or face a situation like he did in the cafeteria, then Cross was the only person who could handle that. Nobody else in this god forsaken place knew how to take care of a kid.

If they did, the Order wouldn't have so many Fallen Ones.

Seeing that Link was still trying to form a reply, Cross decided to up the ante.

"Look, let's be real here: you're a powerful guy. Can't get into CROW without being one. But I am a General and I didn't get this position with my great personality. I _earned_ it. In short, I could take you out and make it look like an accident. So here's my ultimatum for you: you can let me see Red or I can knock you into an a comma only I can undo. Even if someone in the science department did manage to bring you out of it without my help, I'd be long gone from this place and so would Red." To prove his point, he walked over to the wall where a faint outline of one of Link's ward was glowing. Stubbing his cigarette into it, he relished in the loud _snap!_ as all the wards vanished into smoke.

It was kinda nice seeing all those jaws drop in awe. Allen certainly hadn't shown any appreciation during his apprenticeship.

"You - I - what you're threatening is treason, General Cross and these men are witnesses to it!"

"Eh, you so sure about that? They seem pretty deep in their work. I don't think they've heard anything." Cross grinned. Link whirled around to see the scientists that he knew were listening staring intensely at the papers on their desks.

"Supervisor Komui!"

"What! I didn't do it!" Komui jumped and did a great job at pretending to be surprised. He gave Link a startled look before it morphed into a sugar-sweet smile. "Oh, Inspector Link! I was so engrossed in my work, I forgot you were holding General Cross hostage in my office! What can I do for you?"

"Surely you heard what he said!"

"That my darling Linalee is the best little sister anyone could ask for? How kind of you, General Cross!"

"It's only the truth, Komui. Linalee is a fine lookin' girl. Let me take her on a date. I'll wine and dine her away from this hellhole and show her paradise."

"If you use your sleazy womanizing tactics on my sister I. Will. End. You."

Cross had many a showdowns with angry, overprotective brothers but Komui would be the first one with a drill and robot on his side. He could probably pull off the seduction and live to tell about it but he kinda needed all the allies he could get right now. Linalee was beautiful but now wasn't the time to try anything. By the way Komui was looking at him, the time to try anything wasn't going to be in this lifetime.

"Eh, she isn't old enough anyway - what? I have standards, you know." He quirked an eyebrow as everyone in the room gave him a disgusted look. What exaggerated lies did Allen tell these people? He decided to leave the matter for later and slugged an arm around Link's shoulder.

"Listen, I'm not trying to twist your arm. In fact, I'm trying to help you. You could get in big trouble and I'm trying to prevent that."

"Oh? How so?" Link said as he maneuvered himself out of Cross' hold and had the nerve to look like he smelled a rotten corpse. Cross Marian was a man of prestige and cleanliness. He bathed everyday and, for the record, smoke and alcohol were sexy scents.

"For a guy who's so obsessed with orders, you suck at following them." Cross took a swig of wine. "Remind me, _who_ is it you're supposed to be watching? _Who_ are you supposed to follow day and night, never letting them out of your sight like a devoted stalker? Who was it again?"

Link paled.

"Why, one could say that breaking orders handed down by Malcolm Leverrier himself could be considered treasonous. What do you guys think?" Cross asked the scientists.

"Well it _is_ in bad form. . ."

"From Leverrier himself? Hard to forget orders from him. Unless it was on purpose?"

"Good help is hard to find these days, and Leverrier never could stand incompetence."

That last sentence from Komui was the final nail Cross needed for this coffin.

"Leverrier always expects the best from his people. One small mistake and you're gone. You know this better than any of us, I bet. I mean, you've been his right hand man for awhile now - much longer than anyone else under his command. You've seen what happens to the people that displease him. Imagine what he'll do to you. Your perfect record is shattered."

Cross paused.

"Of course, he doesn't need to know. Nobody here is going to say anything, so why should you? It's not like I'm asking you to stay away from Red. Hell, be with him at all times if you want. All I want is to make sure he's settling in and not causing a ruckus. Or you could take this opportunity to take a break from your duties. Red doesn't know you and between me, the Bookman wannabe and all the others fools in this place, that, for some reason, are fond of my apprentice, he won't be sneaking away. Your eyes have been multiplied by the hundreds."

Cross saw the moment Link was swayed to their side and it was a sweet, sweet victory.

"I suppose I could say the Akuma attack left him unconscious until he returns to normal . . ." Link trailed off, looking vaguely sick at his own thought process. If a small fib like that made the man feel guilty, he wasn't living. But his weakness was an advantage for Cross and he was going to use it to its fullest.

"See? That's not even a lie! In a way, Allen Walker is currently unconscious."

". . . Let it be known that I am not in a agreement with you but due to circumstances, I'll follow your lead, General Cross. If this is found out by the higher ups, it will _all_ fall on you. I will make sure of that." Link said as he walked towards the door.

"I'm shaking in my boots." Cross mocked.

Link rolled his eyes and felt relief when his hand met the door handle. "How Walker managed to survive you with his sanity intact, I'll never know. Good day."

The moment the door shut, Cross let out a booming laugh.

"Ha! That little idiot didn't have any sanity left in him _before_ he came my way. If anything I pulled that kid back into reality. Meanest thing I've ever done to someone."

"I'm sure." Reever muttered under his breath.

"Do you think he'll keep quiet, General?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah. Even he realizes this isn't a dire situation - _yet_. If it becomes one, we're screwed." Cross said.

"W-hat do you mean by dire?" Johnny adjusted his glasses and it was Komui that answered.

"This Akuma's power is still active after death and we don't know why or how it's power works. Link, Miranda, and Lavi weren't close to Allen's battle. They only saw the light and the Akuama's self-destruction. At best, it's an ability that will wear off within the next few days. At worst, it's permanent and we have to find a way to undo it. We can survive without Allen for a few weeks but not indefinitely."

"My apprentice has always been unlucky. I bet it's permanent." Cross said bluntly and the other three sighed.

"Please don't say that."

"I want to say you're wrong, but Allen really is unlucky."

"He never does catch a break, does he?"

"It's because he's an idiot." Cross grumbled. "I'll take a look at Tim later and see if he got a recording of the fight."

"And if he doesn't have anything, we'll just poke 'n prod Allen until we find something." Komui let loose a deranged giggle.

 _Good fucking luck._ Cross thought, hiding his own wicked grin as he stepped out into the hallway. Allen Walker may have (with great hesitation) submitted himself to Komui's 'check-ups' but Red wouldn't let a band-aid near him willingly, let alone anything sharp. Anything that isn't considered work is going to be met with suspicion and paranoia by him. Cross can already see Komui's line of thought; he thinks Red is just shaken up and once he's settled in his personality will calm down and he'll begin to trust them.

That won't happen. Oh, no. You don't live a life like Red's by trusting people. One couldn't even really call it living. Red survived by guarding his thoughts, using others, and fighting back with everything he had just to get a scrap of security.

The scientists, exorcists, and finders that consider themselves Allen's friends are in for a very rude surprise if they think a kind word and a friendly smile are going to be enough to get that kid to open up to them.

Personally, Cross couldn't wait to see it all unfold.


End file.
